I mostly listen to Classic Rock and Country, they will also be used for gaming. I'll be using them at home, so noise isolation and noise pollution aren't too important. As for bass, I have no idea. I am still quite new to all of this, I'm good with computers but when it comes to anything sound related I am novice at best.

Well, the JVCs are better for electronic, but the Philips ($80), and either of the Somics ($35 and $50) do awesome with rock music. I can test them with country, but it should be similar. Don't let the low price of the Somics fool you. I own a good amount of headphones, and the $35 EFi 82 MTs are my current daily user.

What's your budget?

Edit: You can add a Zalman mic for $9 to turn any of these into a gaming headset, by the way. The Jaycars and Somics are excellent for gaming and all types of music, but the MH463s cost more than the Somic EFi 82 MT and sound worse IMHO.Edited by CashNotCredit - 12/31/12 at 1:45pm

I mostly listen to Classic Rock and Country, they will also be used for gaming. I'll be using them at home, so noise isolation and noise pollution aren't too important. As for bass, I have no idea. I am still quite new to all of this, I'm good with computers but when it comes to anything sound related I am novice at best.

There's literally no better headphone than HD558 out there under 200$ for those purposes. They sound excellent for the genres you listen to and are some of the best for games regardless of price. I prefer mine over HD650's for lots of genres of music and they're as good if not better in games than the AKG Q701.

If you have to go with either the headphones or soundcard, go for headphones first. I find HD558's sound acceptable out of a motherboard (even out of a cheap as hell laptop), although nowhere near their full potential. They will need a good amp and a good DAC, but for your budget, Asus DX is a good as it gets. Forget Fiio (damn I'm starting to sound like a fanboy), they don't offer you such overall performance as the soundcards, especially in games and movies. Dolby headphone does wonders.

The good thing about HD558's is that even though they sound decent out of pretty much anything with a 3.5mm hole on it, they scale very well, even Asus Essence ST doesn't bring them to full potential as the soundstage and bass quality go up noticeably when using a dedicated headphone amp such as Little Dot MkV. They pretty much reach 95% of sound quality HD650's have to offer and even surpass it in some areas (vocals, soundstage, center image) with that amp and soundcard. Plus they're comfortable and good looking.

Not trying to sound like a fanboy, but I've heard pretty much every headphone worth hearing in your price range, I listen to same genres as you mentioned and play games a lot. HD558's are my most used headphones, they probably get more head time than HD650, Q701, DT880, DT770 and HFI2400 combined.

You could also try the HD518 if 558 is out of your budget. They should be very good too although I haven't heard them other than 5 minutes out of a smartphone in a loud environment. But headroom puts them as best under 150$ and top 10 in under 500$, so they cant be bad. But my advice is, if something's out of your budget now, wait a bit and save up. I know its hard, but its a lesson many of us have learned the hard way. Nothing sucks more than buying a headphone just for the sake of it and then having them sit on the counter not being used. (*cough* look who's talking... :P )

Well, the JVCs are better for electronic, but the Philips ($80), and either of the Somics ($35 and $50) do awesome with rock music. I can test them with country, but it should be similar. Don't let the low price of the Somics fool you. I own a good amount of headphones, and the $35 EFi 82 MTs are my current daily user.
What's your budget?
Edit: You can add a Zalman mic for $9 to turn any of these into a gaming headset, by the way. The Jaycars and Somics are excellent for gaming and all types of music, but the MH463s cost more than the Somic EFi 82 MT and sound worse IMHO.

My price range is pretty much $200 on the dot, though I can work out a little wiggle room, but not the 50 dollars I need for both the S-HD558s and the Xonar DX.

My price range is pretty much $200 on the dot, though I can work out a little wiggle room, but not the 50 dollars I need for both the S-HD558s and the Xonar DX.

Well, if you're dead set on the HD598 (it's supposed to be an awesome headphone), you could look into the ELE DAC as a soundcard ($20). You'll just need a printer cable to plug it in, because it is USB.

I'm not really dead set on anything in particular. I was just talking about the 558s because on the previous page they were recommended along with the Xonar DX, the combination of which was out of my price range.

I'm not really dead set on anything in particular. I was just talking about the 558s because on the previous page they were recommended along with the Xonar DX, the combination of which was out of my price range.

Currently going for very good prices (since early this year when Senn instituted its MAP) on Amazon, is the HD 559 for $180 or the (better but has the same drivers) HD 598 for $211. Both are excellent cans in general and for you needs in particular.

First post! Been lurking around the forum for a while now and finally made an account. Looking for a solid headphone for listening to EDM at home. Not too concerned with portability since I have a pair of TMA-1's. So far looking into the Ultrasone Pro 900 and the V-Moda M100 but open to more suggestions. Price range is around $400.

I recently got a ELE DAC for my setup to see how much it would improve what I got (can't go wrong for $20) and I'm impressed by this little DAC. The headphones and IEMs I have, have basically been pushed to the limit by this DAC and now I'm looking to upgrade.

I listen to rock and trance mainly (think Pink Floyd and Cosmic Gate), but also I like to play games. What I'm looking for are headphones that will give me good soundstage/instrument separation while not being crap when doing some gaming. Music first, gaming second as I don't play FPS games all too often anyway.

I came across two headphones which fit my budget (around $120USD with shipping to NZ) but also need some expert advice :)

The headphones are Audio Technica ATH-AD700 and Samson SR850.

Is there anything better in this price range than either of these two cans? I will buy a Fiio amp in the near future so that's no problem.

The sound I like is warm, slightly sparkly so I can hear different percussions and clean bass, not too overpowering.

First post! Been lurking around the forum for a while now and finally made an account. Looking for a solid headphone for listening to EDM at home. Not too concerned with portability since I have a pair of TMA-1's. So far looking into the Ultrasone Pro 900 and the V-Moda M100 but open to more suggestions. Price range is around $400.

How do you like your bass? Eg.; would you describe yourself as a basshead or not?

Personally, and though I'm by far no expert, I'd also try and check out the sennheiser momentum or the denon d2000

I recently got a ELE DAC for my setup to see how much it would improve what I got (can't go wrong for $20) and I'm impressed by this little DAC. The headphones and IEMs I have, have basically been pushed to the limit by this DAC and now I'm looking to upgrade.

I listen to rock and trance mainly (think Pink Floyd and Cosmic Gate), but also I like to play games. What I'm looking for are headphones that will give me good soundstage/instrument separation while not being crap when doing some gaming. Music first, gaming second as I don't play FPS games all too often anyway.

I came across two headphones which fit my budget (around $120USD with shipping to NZ) but also need some expert advice :)

The headphones are Audio Technica ATH-AD700 and Samson SR850.

Is there anything better in this price range than either of these two cans? I will buy a Fiio amp in the near future so that's no problem.

The sound I like is warm, slightly sparkly so I can hear different percussions and clean bass, not too overpowering.

Cheers

I assume you'll be using these headphones for home. I also assume you want an open pair. I would say the best option for you would be the Takstar Hi2050. I was amazed by them when I first got them. I feel they perform MUCH higher than $70, which is the average price on them. They sound like Beyerdynamic cans, which, for me, is a major plus.

Their soundstaging is exquisite. There's quite a lot of separation and depth. That makes great use for gaming, as well as music. I've used them for gaming, myself, and they really work wonders.

Mids are their strong point, I feel. Highs give a little bit of sparkle, and bass isn't overpowering, but it is definitely there.

Build quality is AMAZING for only $70. They have more metal than my DT770, and those are 3x the price. They feel really well made.

Hello. First time posting here and a complete novice when it comes to headphones.

I'm looking to buy new headphones and have a budget of $250 (flexible). I'll mostly be using them at home and around campus in the library and commons. I mostly listen to hip-hop, but also listen to a lot of classic rock. Most of my listening will be from my phone and laptop.

Hello and Happy New Years! I come to you all with an avalanche of questions in regards to headphones/amps/DACs and, to put it simply, I am an absolute newbie when it comes to audio/headphones/amps/etc. so I immensely appreciate your thoughts and patience with my ignorance/shenaniganry.

To get right into it, my current headphones(Sennheiser HD595s) unfortunately seem to be dying on me(noticeable buzzing/fading/static) and the sony stereo-receiver I've been plugging them into seems to also be close to giving out(sound fading/static-y/sound doesn't come play for left-ear/etc.). Consequently, over the past day or so I've been searching around for replacement options. So far, I've somewhat focused-in on the AKG K702s, as they're at a very appealing price-point and, from what I can gauge so far, are well-received amongst audio-enthusiasts. However, from my barebones research, it seems that these headphones require an amp in order to truly bring out their full potential and I am admittedly clueless in regards to headphone amps/DACs. Thus, let the avalanche begin:

1) What are your thoughts on the K702s? Are they a noticeable improvement over the senn hd 595s? Are there any other strong competitors in that price-point? And as silly as this may sound, are they comfortable?(as reference, I consider the senn 595s quite comfy)

2) What is the difference between a headphone amp and a DAC? For that matter, what is the difference between a stereo receiver and an amp/DAC? Furthermore, one of the nice things about the stereo receiver was that I was able to connect my xbox to it and then seemingly switch between my PC audio and xbox audio at the touch of a button. Would this at all be possible with an amp/DAC? Finally, given a budget of around $200 or so, what are your thoughts on an amp/DAC that could compliment my headphones well, sound great, and provide a sort of steeping stone to learning more about audio and achieving the best music-listening experience possible within my current budget.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment but I'll update/tidy-up this post in the morning should anything else come up. Once again, I sincerely appreciate your time in reading all this and any feedback you have to offer. Cheers :)

Hello and Happy New Years! I come to you all with an avalanche of questions in regards to headphones/amps/DACs and, to put it simply, I am an absolute newbie when it comes to audio/headphones/amps/etc. so I immensely appreciate your thoughts and patience with my ignorance/shenaniganry.

To get right into it, my current headphones(Sennheiser HD595s) unfortunately seem to be dying on me(noticeable buzzing/fading/static) and the sony stereo-receiver I've been plugging them into seems to also be close to giving out(sound fading/static-y/sound doesn't come play for left-ear/etc.). Consequently, over the past day or so I've been searching around for replacement options. So far, I've somewhat focused-in on the AKG K702s, as they're at a very appealing price-point and, from what I can gauge so far, are well-received amongst audio-enthusiasts. However, from my barebones research, it seems that these headphones require an amp in order to truly bring out their full potential and I am admittedly clueless in regards to headphone amps/DACs. Thus, let the avalanche begin:

1) What are your thoughts on the K702s? Are they a noticeable improvement over the senn hd 595s? Are there any other strong competitors in that price-point? And as silly as this may sound, are they comfortable?(as reference, I consider the senn 595s quite comfy)

2) What is the difference between a headphone amp and a DAC? For that matter, what is the difference between a stereo receiver and an amp/DAC? Furthermore, one of the nice things about the stereo receiver was that I was able to connect my xbox to it and then seemingly switch between my PC audio and xbox audio at the touch of a button. Would this at all be possible with an amp/DAC? Finally, given a budget of around $200 or so, what are your thoughts on an amp/DAC that could compliment my headphones well, sound great, and provide a sort of steeping stone to learning more about audio and achieving the best music-listening experience possible within my current budget.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment but I'll update/tidy-up this post in the morning should anything else come up. Once again, I sincerely appreciate your time in reading all this and any feedback you have to offer. Cheers :)

Where are you from? What are your local prices for the HD 558, HD 598, K 702 & Q 701? I'm trying to get a handle of what cans are in the same price range for you.

BTW--the AKG K/Q 70x cans are excellent but quite a different flavor than you Senn. In addition the AKG's will work well out of the headphone jacks of many receivers, but they need more amplification than does you Senn.

Where are you from? What are your local prices for the HD 558, HD 598, K 702 & Q 701? I'm trying to get a handle of what cans are in the same price range for you.

BTW--the AKG K/Q 70x cans are excellent but quite a different flavor than you Senn. In addition the AKG's will work well out of the headphone jacks of many receivers, but they need more amplification than does you Senn.

I'm from the states and the only local option for purchasing headphones would be Bestbuy, and their selection is pretty much Beats or Bose(from what I can tell, not very desirable). The options I'm looking at now are essentially Amazon(received a $50 giftcard over x-mas) or a too-good-to-turn-down eBay listing. So far, I've found the AKG 702s on Amazon for $267.92 and the Sennheiser HD 558s and 598s at $179.95 and $199.77 respectively. In regards to the AKGs, in what ways do you think they differ from the Senn's? The Sennheiser HD 595s were pretty much my first "decent" pair of headphones and I've really enjoyed having them but, now that they're going out on me, I feel like the time has come to upgrade and make my way up the ladder of "audio-enlightenment", so-to-speak haha. Also, in terms of amplification, what would you recommend within a $200 or so budget?